Hiding and Finding
by ganymede21
Summary: Determined to leave her past behind, Mikan had cut off all her connection to her family, friend and acquaintance. Two days after her disappearance she was announced MIA. She continued to hide and live a new, different life as Mikan Haruno. OOC Don’t own G
1. Chapter 1

**Hiding and Finding**

Summary: Determined to leave her past behind, Mikan had cut off all her connection to her family, friend and acquaintance. Two days after her disappearance she was announced MIA. She continued to hide and live a new, different life as Mikan Haruno. OOC Don't own Gakuen Alice.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Living A Life.**

Smiling, Mikan Haruno leaned against the wall near the entrance hall. It was a perfect day, she thought happily.

Glancing around, her grin widened as she saw the other students hugging and giggling openly, their hands wrapped around a long blue cylinder, which matched their graduation blue robe.

Her brown hair was tightened into a bun, with a few loose curls framing her face. Under her spectacles, her bangs hide a pair of hazel eyes. Carrying a couple of heavy books, she looked completely like a nerd.

Wearing her usual white blouse and blue below-knee-skirts, she hugged her books closed to herself.

Today was Saturday, the graduation day for 2008 which just ended not more than 30 minutes ago. She let out a sighed as she waited by the entrance.

"Mikan! Mikan Haruno!" someone voiced out her name from the left.

A jet black hair teacher was running towards her directing, stopping near her to catch his breath. His right hand was gripping a white envelope. Still gasping, the teacher smiled while handing her the envelope, his blue eyes filled with relief and concern.

"Here's the payment for this month, it's 3 right?" the teacher said.

Mikan nodded, pocketing the envelope, before she said thank you and dismissed herself. It was the payment for helping teaching, babysitting and decorating the school for the month. 300 dollars, cash per month.

Waiting for the bus to come, Mikan recalled back the name that teacher has called her.

Mikan Haruno.

It had been almost a year that she had left her home, her home _sweet _home. As if. At the age of 16, it was pretty amazing in what she had accomplished so far.

Owning a small, cheap apartment, she had learned to live a solitary life for more than 11 months. It was hell during the first five month. It was during November, when she had run away. Faking her age, she had made up many excuses from her house being destroyed in a fire and running away from her abusive husband or family in order to get a decent job.

Funny how people would treat and pity a small, petite, brown-haired, damsel-in-distress. They would give you anything after a puppy dog eyes and a couple of tears, including a job. Then again, her shredded, dirt-covered blue dress seemed to have helped her a lot.

Miss Ray Hameline, her neighbor had been a great help. At the age of 45, she was a widow and a very affectionate mother to her 4 child and to her surprise, Aunt Ray had been nominating herself as Mikan's second mother.

So far, she had lived a wonderful life. The bus arrival directed her thoughts away from the past. Putting on a smile on her face, she climbed into the bus, sitting by the window, two rows from the back.

Suddenly, someone said "Miss… Sakura?"

Mikan's eyes widened in disbelieve.


	2. Chapter 2: It's Mikan HARUNO!

_Italic - Thought_

**Chapter 2: It's Haruno. Mikan HARUNO!.**

_So far, she had lived a wonderful life. The bus arrival directed her thoughts away from the past. Putting on a smile on her face, she climbed into the bus, sitting by the window, two rows from the back._

_Suddenly, someone said "Miss… Sakura?"_

_Mikan's eyes widened in disbelieve._

The voice came from beside her.

Even under the midst chatter of the passengers in the bus, she could hear the two words question as clear as a bell. She heard someone breathing heavily before realizing that it was her. She was frightened. She was terrified.

"Miss Sakura." The question came for the second time but she still did turn around to acknowledge it. Suddenly, millions of thoughts came crashing down on her. _Has her cover finally blown off? How did they find her? Who on earth is he/she? What is she going to do?_

With a lot of effort, she calmly rested her forehead on the window, trying to pretend ignorance, and unconsciously drawing herself closer to the window. She fought the urge to yell to the owner of the voice and screamed _"I'm Mikan Haruno. Mikan HARUNO!"_

But she didn't. She's not THAT stupid. She could not let anyone knew that she's here. She REFUSED to go back.

_But how?_

Still breaking into a cold sweat, she felt the inertia from the moving bus before realizing that she was trapped, her heartbeat sound very loud to her ears.

"Miss Sakura?!" the person asked again.

It was a guy, Mikan noted from the deepness of his voice. She prayed silently before she turned her head around and faced the owner of the voice.

"Huh?" was her first reaction. For a split second she almost gasped out loud as deep blue eyes, which were almost black, staring back at her puzzled honey-coloured eyes. The shock and puzzlement on his's face was visible, as he titled his head, his navy blue hair revealed a star shaped tattoo just below's his left eyes.

"_Tsubasa Ando?!" _she almost screamed. He was now sitting beside her. She tried to ignore him as he whispered 'Mi-kan' under his breath.

_No, no, no!_

Blinking, she let out "May I help you?" in shy, soft voice, hoping that she sounded like a delicate school girl, her hands adjusting her spectacles.

Hoping to prove him that she was NOT Mikan Sakura.

Then again, Mikan Haruno was not a _delicate_ school girl either.

Mikan's sudden unexpected tone and voice seemed to bring him out from his shock when his face suddenly wore the mask of confusion.

Silently, her eyes were taking in every detail of his appearance, of her senpai who she had missed along with her other friends. Mikan almost smiled. Even when clad in a blue shirt with a black sleeve which was rolled to his elbow and a matching of black pants, Tsubasa-senpai never failed to capture the eyes of girls around him.

And apparently, Tsubasa was also doing the same. It beat her heart to see the longing gaze in his eyes.

However, Mikan also noted from her memory that Tsubasa-senpai was not an easy person to fool.

"Mikan Sakura?" he asked, looking at Mikan who pretended to blush at the presence of a cute boy.

Mikan felt like puking at the ridiculous role she was playing.

"Gomen, you're mistaken me for another person." Mikan looked up and shook her head while she quietly hoping he that would take the hint.

"It's me, Tsubasa-senpai," desperation was evident in his voice.

And something told her that he did not give up easily either.

Mikan inwardly groaned. Tsubasa-senpai was giving her a look as if she was a prey. She felt as if she was playing the game 'Tag, You're in!' or rather 'Tag, You're Mikan!' Except that there were only two people playing in this game and each person will try to convince the other who she was.

However, Mikan was quick to revert from her thought when she realized that the bus would not be arriving to her stop for another ten minutes, but will be to another one for no more than mere minutes.

"We went to college together… at the Alice Academy." He pressed.

"Alice… Academy?" Mikan said almost fearfully, feeling like she was walking on a dangerous road. Suddenly, something caught her line of sight. _'Perfect!'_

"We did?! I mean, of course we did!" was Mikan answer.

Tsubasa-senpai looked almost puzzled at her way of answering.

Mikan drew herself closer to him, giggling and battling her at him eyelashes profusely. "How could I forget somehow like y-," but Mikan paused to gasp dramatically. "Brenna!"

A blonde girl who had been watching Tsubasa like a hawk before immediately came to Mikan sides. Mikan knew her, but she didn't know Mikan. _How a cheerleader could knew a nerd like her?_

Mikan inwardly smirked at Tsubasa-senpai's troubled face at the sudden clingy blonde that pinned him down as Mikan felt the bus pulling to a stop.

"Oh dear, this is my stop," Mikan said, trying to sound disappointed and gave Tsubasa an apologizing look before walking down the aisle and climbed down the bus right before the door closed in.

She watched from the sideway as the bus drove away.

She knew that her retreat was too quick for Tsubasa-senpai to respond to. And by the time he realized it, she will be gone.

However, despite anything, she was thankful that her senpai was well. She sighed as she walked towards the zebra crossing, mingling herself with the people surrounding.

"Goodbye, Tsubasa-senpai. Besides, I suck at being a _delicate_ school girl and playing tag." Mikan muttered under her breath.

A midnight-haired guy was calmly resting his head against the tree when his phone rang, disturbing him from his peace. Still not opening his eyes, he picked it up.

As if knowing who's in the other end of the phone, he quickly said "Yes?"

"Guess who I met today?" an amused voice answered him.

He finally opened his eyes, revealing hazel-colored eyes before he said "Really?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The not-so-perfect past and future life.**

Mikan had a strange habit, she knew that. When she's sad, she would eat sweets, especially Ice-cream, candy, chocolate, popcorn and heck, even cereal. She had just got back from her little encounter with Tsubasa-senpai that left her to nothing but to miss her old friends.

For the first two months of her disappearance, she had always longed for ice cream.

Lying down on her stomach, Mikan sadly thought back about her life. Sighing and spooning for more ice cream (which she had quickly bought after she met Tububasa), Mikan had to wonder why she acted the way she does.

After a few weeks of her disappearance, Mikan , who had found a shelter, had started to hear some rumors about her 'death' and then she became- what Mikan had hoped for- yesterday news. She was forgotten. She was very grateful when she found Auntie Ray a few weeks later. She was her savior.

She was ecstatic then. She had the chance to live a new life, a wonderful new life.

However, deep down, she knew that she was running away. But hey, they left her no choice. _He_ left her no choice.

_Now, here she was_…

Tears slide down her cheek. She sobbed desperately, unconsciously wrapping her hand around her knee. It has been one… one painful year. _God, was running away the right thing to do?_ She hugged herself tightly as she let more tears fall down both cheeks before burying her face in the pillow.

_She missed her friends. _When she saw Tsubasa-senpai, she had to fight the urge to cry and hug him tightly and tell him to take her back. She never felt so alone.

It has become an almost everyday night routine where she would cry herself to sleep.

Mikan had to sneer. Imagine that, the person that she had been trying to run away from was none other than her _own father_. One year ago, she had had enough. One year ago, she finally decided what to do. So, one year ago, she left her home.

She had even planned what her future was going to be. And it was, perfect. Deep down however, she knew that prefect life was only a wistful thinking. _But hey, she can dream._

However, her encounter with Tsubasa was a recent addition in her new perfect life that she had not predicted and frankly, she did not know what to expect.

Or maybe, she was just being paranoid. She _had_ been thinking way too much about her past.

After two bowls of ice cream, a large package of chocolate and a mouthful of candy, after hours of good consideration, Mikan, had decided that the past is the past and Tsubasa-senpai was just a gift from fate.

Or was it just because she was high on sugar?

Glancing at the clock, she groaned when she realized that she still have to get up for work tomorrow. _Lovely._

_*_

"_Hey Haruno!" _

Mikan was jerked awake by the sudden raised voice. A 6 years old brunette girl was grinning down on her with a mischievous glint in her black-coal eyes, her arms crossed over her chest. Mikan knew so well from her smug that, whatever it was that the girl wanted, only promised one thing: Trouble.

Now fully awake, Mikan replied "Yes, pumpkin?"

'Pumpkin' replaced her smile with a glare obviously not liking the name-calling.

Mikan raised her eyebrows, silently challenging the girl. It amused her to no end how cute and adorable kids can be yet mischievous and clever prankster at the same time. She absolutely adored children.

Though sometimes, she absolutely _despised _them. Like. Right. _Now._

That _girl _just tricked her or rather drenched her with a white paint before Mikan realized from the mirror that… that…_brat_ had put on a make up on her face while she was sleeping.Behind her, she heard a few giggles no doubt from the brat and the brat's partners-in-crime.

Fumed with anger, Mikan slowly counted to ten and turned around.

The laughter only increased by triple when the kindergarten kids saw her face. Mikan was an epitome of a mime. Her black attire plus white paint plus ridiculous 'make up' equaled to a VERY angry Mikan Sak- Haruno!

"Oh kids…"Mikan cooed.

The children's laughter ceased, replaced by a nervous giggle.

"Who want some_ .HUG_?" Mikan threw her arms wide opened for a dramatic effect. _Hah! Take THAT!_

Total silence followed before children scream erupted through out the room.

Mikan cackled evilly as she caught 'pumpkin' and make sure to smear the paint at her cloth as she 'hugged' her.

_Life is good._

_*_

"Don't move!" Mikan yelled as pumpkin/Hatoru Umi moved away from the shower.

"I don't wanna take a ba-" Hatoru stopped to remove MIkan's hand.

"And I don't want to be covered in paint either, serve you right!" Mikan snapped.

She sighed heavily. She was supposed to spend her summer holiday, well, as a holiday. Not for babysitting! _Not that she was complaining or anything. _Aunt Ray was the owner this kindergarten. How could Mikan resist her second mother's pleading, puppy dog eyes? _Aunt Ray sometimes acted more like children than woman her age._ Aunt Ray had to do some errand to do for a few days, leaving Mikan in charge of this place.

She took her time taking a nap while Mrs. Meryll took over her shift. Little did she know, Mrs. Meryll was new in the course of taking care of children. That fact was proven when Mikan found her gagged and bounded in the storage closet.

She never saw someone packed, screamed and ran as fast as her before.

There were a total of 12 children here at Luna Pre-School. Other than Mikan, there was 4 other 'babysitter' aka 'nanny' including Aunt Ray.

When she was schooling, her shift was usually from 2pm to 5pm (her classes ended around 1p.m) but since it was summer holiday, it was from 8am to 11pm. Other than working as a nanny, Mikan also taught summer school, although, it was more like a study group except that Mikan got paid.

Sometimes (more frequently during her first two month as 'Mikan Haruno'), Mikan worked as a waitress and even cashiers at the 'All for You Bookshop' or AfyB for short. She had to admit, she even believed that she was in heaven while she worked in the bookshop (courtesy of being a nerd).

These were how Mikan earn for her living. The money was enough to pay for her daily expenses. Thankfully, she was 'as bright as the sun during daylight' that the school-that she was currently having a holiday from – 'Elica High School' had provided her a scholarship.

_Elica High School… I know, ironic huh? _Mikan secretly blame the principal for the weird name and odd idioms.

Scrubbing Hotaru's covered-in-white-paint-back, Mikan had to wonder how she ended up with this little devil. She was as stubborn, mischievous as _that_ Hotaru. Even so, Mikan fell in love with her immediately. When she came to think of it, each child in the nursery school reminded her of her old friend.

*

Natsume Hyuuga let his body relaxed against the floppy cushion. It was another tiresome day. Being the only heir of his family sure had its own unique agenda. _Most of the time, he felt like adding 'strangling the incompetence' as one of the few agenda._

Natsume drifted his gaze towards the framed picture at the left end of his desk. It was empty.

"Straw-be-rry," Natsume softly said.

"Natsume?" a gentle voice asked from the doorway. Ruka Nogi stood there, his sapphire eyes looking at Natsume wonderingly. Ruka smiled warmly at him before entering the room.

"I did knock," Ruka claimed as he sat down at one of the sofa facing Natsume.

"Of course," was his sole reply before he resumed back to his position.

Ruka smiled again before he too leaned against the sofa.

"Am I late?" A new voice entered the room.

Both heads turned towards the door. Tsubasa Ando now occupied Ruka's previous position. He seemed amused. Gladly inviting himself in, he propped himself against one of the bookshelves, completely aware of a pair of hazel and sapphire eyes that followed his movement.

Little did Mikan knew, Tsubasa-senpai was in fact not a 'gift' from fate. True, Tsubasa was one of Mikan's friends during her stay in Alice Academy, which lasted for no more than 5 years. None the less, it was a _very_ long 5 years. Tsubasa, Hotaru, Yui and Mikan's other few classmates had formed a group soon after the police and the media ceased the amount of search for Mikan, that was when Mikan's disappearance was forgotten.

Mikan had a few hunch that her classmates might be doing so. Still, Mikan's hunch was only a predicament. However, what Mikan did not know was that the group had new members: Natsume Hyuuga and Ruka Nogi.

Despites of the group's worries on Mikan's whereabouts and wish that Mikan would come home, both Tsubasa and Hotaru had agreed that the purpose of their doing was to make sure that whenever Mikan was, she was taken care of.

During the previous 5 years of friendship with Mikan, they knew that Mikan had suffered a lot, and most of them were because of her father.

However, Tsubasa still felt uneasy with the additional member particularly Natsume Hyuuga, Tsubasa trusted Ruka enough to know that Ruka was a good bloke. He also knew that Natsume Hyuuga meant no harm to Mikan.

But he couldn't help to think that Natsume have other personal reasons for finding Mikan.

And now, he still does.

Tsubasa pulled out a piece of paper for his pocket. It was a small printed map. He took out another identical copy before handing them both to Natsume and Ruka.

His hands in his pockets, he sighed. "I saw her at the Chiyo's Bus Stop near the Cara's Curtain Shop, the one with the blue colour," he indicated at the map. "That place was three hours ride from here,"

Despite the fact that Tsubasa was supposed to be at least happy at the newfound info, both Natsume and Ruka noted the bothered tone in his voice.

"To tell you truth, my encounter has been… different," Tsubasa admitted worriedly.

"How's it different?" Natsume spoke for the first time. His voice was calm though his expression was unreadable.

"She didn't recognize me," Tsubasa replied.

To his surprise, Natsume smiled before saying "Interesting,"

(A/N: Hello minna! Firstly, thanks for the reviews, they were great, all of them in fact.

Secondly, err… I made a mistake. There's something that I wrote in chap 1 but in chapter 2 it goes against that. The higher the number of reader who realized them… the shorter the time I might take to update for the next chap. Key word: Might.) I feel like writing hypothesis for my science class… The one in chap 1 is the correct storyline.

Last but not least, this looong author note's to make up for the lack of one in the first two chappies. I'm happy you see. Another author pen-named Emma Lipardi once said "I felt so happy that I threw petals of roses whenever I walked, just kidding, I threw rice," something like that I think.)

The more review I get,

The happier I am,

The sooner I update… maybe.


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